


LUCKY ONES

by wistfullywishing



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Everything Hurts, Implied Relationships, M/M, Minor Character Death, My First Fanfic, Songfic, Thugisa, Tragic Romance, au i guess, brief mentions of background characters, im sorry, lana del rey - Freeform, life sucks for them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-27
Updated: 2016-08-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 10:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7887325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wistfullywishing/pseuds/wistfullywishing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was no room for love in this town. Their lives had become lost tragedies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	LUCKY ONES

**Author's Note:**

> I highly recommend listening to the song that inspired this fic 'Lucky Ones' by Lana Del Rey all the lyrics are in italics and 100% hers not mine
> 
> Also, constructive criticism/advice is highly encouraged :)))

_Let's get out of this town, baby we're on fire_

_Everyone around here seems to be going down, down, down_

 

This was it. Tonight, they were leaving. They were getting out of their wreck of a town and going to pursue a new life. One without the sorrows that haunted them from every crevice of Iwatobi. And yet, Haru knew that he would never forget the misfortunes he had seen as long as he lived.

 

_If you stick with me, I can take you higher, and higher_

_It feels like all of our friends are lost_

_Nobody's found, found, found_

 

Everything they'd grown up with had fallen apart. They had witnessed firsthand Sousuke's murder at the 2016 Olympics in Rio -he'd been there to support Rin- and helplessly watched as Rin subsequently lost any desire to live, his two greatest loves having been simultaneously stolen from him. Nothing he or Makoto had done had been able to pull Rin out of his quest for self-destruction, starting with the alcohol and leading to the heroin introduced to him by Nagisa. Rin never swam again.

They had grieved for Sousuke and Rin, as wrong as the latter action had felt. You could not grieve for someone who was not yet dead. Either way, the implication stood. Rin was as good as. There was nobody left who could save him.

After graduating, Gou had married the older Mikoshiba, to no one's surprise. However, there had been a rather nasty scandal two years ago when her husband had walked in on her and Momotarou lying in their martial chambers together, and Gou had packed her belongings and fled to another city out of shame. What became of the Mikoshiba brothers remained a mystery to Haru even now.

As for Rei and Nagisa, they had proudly announced their decision to move in together after graduation, much to the dismay of Rei's family. They had disowned him, but Rei went ahead and bought an apartment with Nagisa anyways. They were young and foolish, ready to take on the world. For the longest time, it seemed as if they were the happiest couple in all of Iwatobi, always calling over the gang for Friday evening potlucks and hosting poker nights. Haru could not a recall a fonder memory than the night Rei had finally gotten down on one knee and asked Nagisa to marry him, who had promptly forfeited all his poker chips to Makoto and dragged his beloved down the hall to their bedroom. Everyone had been there: Haru, Makoto, Rin and Sousuke, Gou and Seiijuurou, still experiencing the bliss of their marriage, and even Aiichirou and the younger Mikoshiba, who was rumored to be amenable to bedding both male and female and whose eyes had been following Nitori all night. It was high school all over again. They were happy and youthful, drunk on too much champagne and the whimsical notions of the good life lasting forever.

When Sousuke had been killed, it had been the catalyst for more than just Rin's demise. The illusion of paradise was shattered at once. Everyone had stopped getting together, creating unprecedented tension in the relationship of the bubbly blonde and his blue haired fiancé. Without the presence of their old teammates, the two lovebirds had discovered they did not know what to do with themselves. They had tired of one another over time, and the exhaustion had morphed into awkwardness, unease, and finally, resentment. It had all finally boiled over when a shouting match had ended in Nagisa yanking the engagement band that had brought them so much happiness off his finger and throwing it all Rei's face, along with all of the other man's pride and dignity. Rei had moved out the next day, and in the next several months had reconciled with his family. Eventually, he had gotten married to a young woman of adequate social standing, and if gossip was to be believed, they were expecting their third child now. Last year, Haru had run into the man at the marketplace, and the blue haired father had only nodded and whispered for Haru to give Nagisa his regards. Haru didn't bother to tell him that Nagisa had gone round the bend and spent all of his days now mixing medicines and selling whatever illegal substances he didn't ingest himself. Haru had noted with a start that Rei looked weary, nothing at all like a father who adored his wife and children, and he realized the truth. Rei and Nagisa had never truly stopped loving one another, but the circumstances surrounding their lives had suffocated their love until it was forced to relent and wait for another lifetime in which to manifest.

Now, Haru reflected that when Sousuke had died, they had all been abruptly thrust into a world of sadness and forgotten longing. And since nothing could be as it ever was, it only seemed fair to not try to force it to be, instead allowing their lives to be realigned and shuffled up like a deck of cards. Change was the only option.

 

_I got so scared, I thought no one could save me_

_You came along scooped me up like a baby_

 

And yet while everything they had once known was crumbling to ruins, Haru and Makoto had remained the same. Each depended on the strength of the other to get through every day. So it should seem normal that the only two sane people left turned to seek comfort in each other's bodies. The first time it happened, Haru was not surprised. Makoto had returned from another visit to his family, and if his shaking shoulders were anything to go by, it had not gone well. Ren and Ran had joined the swim team legacy left behind by their older brother at Iwatobi High School and had become moody teenagers desperate to rebel. The days when swimming had been their biggest problem seemed a lifetime away, Haru thought now. On top of that, Makoto's father's health was rapidly diminishing. In their shared house that night, Haru had sought to soothe his best friend in any way that he could, and Makoto had ended up taking Haru against the wall of the hallway by the stairs, where they had once sat as kids and wondered what the future had in store for them. It soon became a routine for the two of them. They would lose themselves in the pleasure of each other if only to distract from whatever pain they had experienced earlier in the day.

 

_Every now and then the stars align_

_Boy and girl meet by the great design_

_Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?_

 

It didn't escape their notice how fortunate they were to find solace each other, to still have each other. The first kiss they had finally shared marked the shift of something monumental; that night, their fucking had become lovemaking. Neither of them had ever voiced the sentiments out loud, but they didn't need to. The single kiss that had promised an eternity of others had been clear and direct. There was no time for games, no time for teasing. It was this philosophy combined with a particularly tender moment in their usually rough carnal activities that had prompted Haru to finally wrench Makoto's head away from his usual perusal of Haru's throat. He held his lover's jaw for a beat, and a fog had lifted from Makoto's eyes, notifying Haru with astonishing lucidness of the disposition that swan in those clear emerald depths. Never had Haru seen an emotion so plain and bare as he did that night.  An understanding passing between them, Haru finally closed his eyes and tilted his face up to meet that of his best friend since childhood. The kiss was nothing special, yet it was extraordinary. It conveyed all the two men needed to know, from years of unrealized longing to brilliant passion.  

 

_Everybody told me love was blind_

_Then I saw your face and you blew my mind_

_Finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time_

 

After seeing the how love had led to the destruction of everyone around them, it seemed foolhardy to believe in it now. But it was the only thing he had to hold on to, the one thing keeping him fighting. The profound belief that while the world around them was ugly, life itself was beautiful.

His mental reflection done, Haru locked the door of the house he had grown up and made so many memories with his teammates and Makoto in for the last time. He gazed with a nostalgic view upon the physical reminder of the part of his life that he would lock and bury deep within his heart, the memories never to be visited again. Then Haru resolved to wipe his mind clean of all his pain and abruptly turned to join Makoto at the side of the street.

 

_Boy, get into my car, got a bad desire_

_You know that we'll never leave if we don't get out now, now, now_

_You're a careless con, and you're a crazy liar_

_But baby, nobody can compare to the way you get down, down, down_

 

Haru held open the driver's side door of their car for Makoto. He had been the one to acquire the vehicle for them, sweet talking with the charm that only he possessed. It was wrong, but so was everything else. Desperate times called for desperate measures. It seemed almost cruel, like they were abandoning their once close friends who had turned into shells of their former selves. But they both knew if they didn't abandon ship now, when it finally sank the two of them would be sucked into the whirlpool of dysphoria to rot away in this godforsaken town along with everyone else.

 

_I tried so hard to act nice like a lady_

_You taught me that it was good to be crazy_

 

Guided by the gentle incandescence provided by the luminous moon, they were off. Makoto had found a place for sale in a city six hours away. To get there, they had to take the road that wove in and out of the cliffs by the sea, away from the busyness and technology that alluded to the modern world. Out here, it was peaceful and almost ancient. With a distinct unease, Haru noted that out here was the edge of the world they knew.

Haru sat stiffly in the car, only comforted by the reassuring hand of Makoto grasping his own. Makoto always promised with an unspoken word and glance that everything would be okay. And Haru believed it. Even in a world this broken and dark, Makoto would be there to guide him back to the light. And so it continued for several hours.

 

_Every now and then the stars align_

_Boy and girl meet by the great design_

_Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?_

 

It couldn't have been later than four in the morning when it started to rain. At first, it was just an occasional splash of raindrops, but the rain quickly crescendoed into a heavy downpour. A spike of panic rose in Haru when thunder rumbled and lightning crackled across the sky, but Makoto noticed him tensing and assured him that they were almost to their destination, if he could just hold on for a little while longer. Haru gripped Makoto's hand harder.

He usually loved the water pouring down to cleanse his sins and those of his forgotten friends, but this felt too harsh at a time like this. Ominous.

 

_Everybody told me love was blind_

_Then I saw your face and you blew my mind_

_Finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time_

 

The lights of a city were just coming into view, barely visible past the curve of the next mountain when a loud sizzling noise interrupted Makoto's excited cries and sent the world into blinding white.

Haru heard Makoto scream and he was scrambling for his wits- what had happened oh god the car was struck by lightning it's ok they were going to be ok they were safe in the car- when he heard the front tire blow out from the shock. He had barely registered this fact when the car veered off course and went spinning straight towards the edge of the cliff.

Time seemed to stand still as the car spun out of control, creating feelings of haze yet crystal clear perception. Haru's eyes darted to the raindrop crawling down the dashboard, what may very well be the last raindrop he ever saw, and he took one last good look at the face of the angel beside him. Makoto's eyes were wide and he seemed to be drinking in the sight of Haru.

He didn't know what he expected, magic or a miracle or mercy for once in their lives, but it somehow came as a shock when the ground beneath them dropped and they fell into open air, hurtling towards the sea.

 

_Feels like, feels like, you know,_

_It feels like falling in love for the first time_

_Feels like, you know,_

_It feels like falling in love_

 

Haru tightened his grip on his lover's hand and it was with acceptance that he reached out with his other hand to caress Makoto's cheek one last time. So this was how it would end. He kept his eyes on Makoto for as long as he could, waiting for the impact that would kill them and the water that would fill their lungs, but it never came. The car collided with trees growing from the side of the cliff and the front windshield was punched out, forcing Haru to squeeze his eyes shut and instinctively duck to escape the oncoming shower of glass. He felt Makoto's hand spasm once, and without thinking, he brushed his thumb across the bottom of his partner's knuckles in what was meant to be a reassuring gesture. The car finally tumbled to a stop, caught by the massive tree branches. Haru thought with growing dread how ironic their situation was; both of them trapped in the car, looming out with a perfect view over the ocean, the source of Makoto's fear and his admiration. He realized that sometime during their tumble, the rain had completely receded. Dawn was breaking.

When he looked over at Makoto, his heart dropped into his stomach. Makoto was taking shallow breaths, his eyes closed, and he appeared to be in pain. Haru reached out and cupped his chin, prompting Makoto's eyes to flutter open. He turned to look towards Haru, and the movement revealed the other side of his neck. Haru saw the incoming sunlight glinting off of a shard of glass, part of the front windshield, lodged in Makoto's throat. Blood was trickling out from the sides of the wound slowly, pooling in his clavicles. Haru knew that if the glass was pulled out, blood would begin gushing out and lead to a much quicker death. Either way, he noted with sickening clarity, it was too late; they were trapped in this car with no way out and the nearest service buildings being way too far to travel on foot. Fate had pitched them here, forever overlooking the great blue sea, unchanging, calm and at peace.

Makoto coughed out something unintelligible but he recognized to be his name by the signature chan tagged on the the end. Haru met Makoto's gaze, and a look of understanding passed between them. Even now, nothing could hinder their ability to communicate with just a glance. Haru knew what Makoto was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

When Makoto whispered that he loved him, instead of the joy and warmth he should have felt at hearing such a sentiment, Haru felt only hollow sadness. The injustice of it all, to have the words long unspoken in wait of the right moment finally uttered on a dying breath. A tear slipped from Haru's eye and fell onto Makoto's cheek. Satisfied that his words had been received, Makoto allowed a small smile to grace his lips as his eyelids lowered for his final time. And then Haru grasped the shard of glass and gently pulled it out, easing Makoto's pain.

 

_Every now and then the stars align_

_Boy and girl meet by the great design_

_Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?_

 

As Haru looked upon Makoto's still form bleeding out from where he had been pierced, he mused that the two of them had never stood a chance at escaping and getting away with their lives after all. He fingered the bloody glass shard as he gazed at his love and prepared to draw the sliver across his neck, following a trail that Makoto had kissed across his throat so many times before. The pain was more bearable than he'd expected when he made the first cut and painted a trail of red blazing agony past his larynx with the fragment of glass.

His last thoughts were of how they were never able to make it. So close, yet so far. Haru could recall seeing the lights of their destination just beyond the curve of the next precipice. So it was fated to be this way; Haru and Makoto would always be stuck in time. They were doomed to be forever chasing after dreams, trapped between their past life and their future.  

Their corpses would lie in this car, overlooking the ocean forever. But they would be together, which was more than could be said for everyone else. It was not such a bad way to die, Haru speculated as he joined Makoto, matching crimson smiles dripping across their necks.

 

_Everybody told me love was blind_

_Then I saw your face and you blew my mind_

_Finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time_

 

Yes, they were the lucky ones in this lifetime.


End file.
